Macron’s remarks were slammed as “a blatant falsification of the facts which whitewashes and legitimizes the crimes of the Zionist occupation.”
While protesters took to the streets of Morocco following French President Emmanuel Macron’s criticism of the Palestinian Resistance, the country’s Movement for Unity and Reform slammed his remarks as “dangerous and provocative.”
In his address to the Moroccan parliament on Tuesday, Macron reportedly described Hamas as “terrorist” and “barbaric” while defending Israel’s “right to self-defense.”
In Morocco, hundreds of people gathered outside the French consulate in Casablanca to protest against President Emmanuel Macron's comments describing the Palestinian resistance group Hamas as 'terrorist' and 'barbaric' ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/KCia49ugux
— Anadolu English (@anadoluagency) October 31, 2024
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the parliament a few hours after his speech, chanting “Macron is a liar” and “Resistance is not terrorism.” Protesters also demonstrated outside the French consulate, according to the Anadolu news agency.
The French president began an official visit to Morocco on Monday, during which he attended the signing of bilateral agreements with King Mohammed VI.
‘Legitimizes Occupation’
“Macron’s statements in the Moroccan parliament were extremely dangerous and very provocative to Moroccans in which he attacked the Palestinian resistance and described it as barbaric,” the Unity and Reform Movement said, according to the Middle East Monitor (MEMO).
This, insisted the movement, is “a blatant falsification of the facts which whitewashes and legitimizes the crimes of the Zionist occupation condemned by the free people of the world and the International Court of Justice.”
In the midst of the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Moroccan lawmakers applauded French President Macron after he delivered a speech in the Moroccan Parliament in which he stated: "Israel has the right to self-defense. Palestinian resistance is barbaric." pic.twitter.com/d7WCzYbASL
— Quds News Network (@QudsNen) October 30, 2024
The Unity and Reform Movement is regarded as the advocacy wing of Morocco’s Justice and Development Party, part of the country’s opposition in parliament, said MEMO.
The people of Morocco, said the movement, has been declaring through their million-strong popular marches and their regular daily sit-ins, their “permanent and unconditional support” for the Palestinian resistance.
Macron also said in his speech “Nothing can justify such a large number of civilian deaths in Gaza.”
‘No Right to Self-Defense’
Meanwhile, the Secretary-General of the Moroccan opposition Justice and Development Party, Abdelilah Benkirane also criticized Macron, the Anadolu news agency reported.
In an open letter to Macron, the former prime minister said “Hamas and all Palestinian factions are resistance movements against Israeli colonialism, occupation, ethnic cleansing and genocide.”
“The colonising entity Israel is occupying the land of Palestine illegally and so has no right of self-defence,” he wrote.
Moroccan security forces dispersed pro-Palestine protesters gathered outside the French consulate in Casablanca.
Protesters demonstrated in response to comments by French President Emmanuel Macron, who addressed the Moroccan parliament, describing Hamas as “terrorist” and… pic.twitter.com/9TAK57mxrN
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) October 31, 2024
Benkirane pointed out that “the barbaric operations committed by Israel (in Gaza) did not begin on 7 October, 2023, but rather a long time ago, and have continued without interruption for more than 76 years,”
He added, “The crimes committed by Israel against the Palestinians over decades, the brutal genocide committed by Israel in particular since 7 October, 2023, and the generals’ plan underway in northern Gaza for weeks are unparalleled in the history of brutality.”
According to reports, Macron addressed a full chamber of the Moroccan parliament and received a standing ovation at the end of his speech.
Normalization with Israel
On Wednesday night, Moroccan police violently dispersed the protesters outside the French consulate in Casablanca.
Last month, Benkirane called for a reassessment of the country’s normalization agreement with Israel, arguing that it “no longer holds moral justification.”
‘No Moral Justification’ – Benkirane Says Morocco Should Review Normalization Agreement
Morocco and Israel signed a normalization agreement on December 10, 2020, becoming the fourth Arab state to normalize relations with Israel, following Bahrain, the UAE, and Sudan.
Previously, Egypt normalized ties with Israel in 1979, followed by Jordan in 1994.
(PC, MEMO, Anadolu)
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